A bit to catch up on…Thanksgiving, birthday, Dad, World Race family, LA brothers. Go.
There was a lot to be thankful for this Thanksgiving. We celebrated with a combination of American and Nicaraguan dishes; the fried chicken was better than most Thanksgiving turkeys I’ve had (did miss the apple pie); and we had 18 kids get up and tell us what they were thankful for. It was quite a celebration, and I am so thankful for our new CICRIN family.
The celebration didn’t end there: the very next day my dad arrived on the island from the states. If you know my dad, this might not come as a surprise since he travels extensively throughout the year. But, this travel is almost exclusively to Africa, he had never traveled to Nicaragua for work before, and originally our team was not even supposed to be in Nicaragua. Not to mention, it was my birthday. I should be writing a thank you card to Save the Children for deciding to have meetings in Managua.
Dad and I took a day off with the team and went to beautiful San Juan del Sur on the Pacific coast of Nicaragua. Don’t worry, it wasn’t too much fun.
We also visited a sweet house church on the way back to the island…house church is one way to put it, anyway…
I am thankful for a dad that can come halfway across the world to hang out. Love you, Dad.
I would say the celebration ended there. But, it didn’t. A few days after wrapping up our month in Nicaragua, I unwrapped another amazing gift: seeing two of my brothers on our layover LA on the way to the Philippines.
Ryan, on the left, is a junior at USC. Keoki, right, is a grad student, which may or may not involve long days on the beach and studious Saturday afternoons at the LA Coliseum.
The last few weeks have been a real gift. I serve a God that likes to give good gifts and I’m going to be a man that realizes how truly privileged I am. I know a lot is expected.
—
A glimpse from my journal…a part of my prayer for the next year of my life:
Father, As I pass another birthday, I pray that I will continue to grow strong in you and for you. I will be a man that runs the race well—with purpose, vision, steadiness, steadfastness. I will disciple, enliven. More than anything else, I will fall more in love with my Creator, each day, and live from a place of waiting on that Creator. I want to continue to press forward. I want to practice and introduce life-giving habits. But I don’t want a relationship with you that even approaches routine; I want it to be special, one-of-a-kind. Awaken desires in me; I want to love others + you well, and deeply.
